In an interview on Friday, Taisakan said he had written President Bush four months ago to air his concerns about the monument proposal for Maug, Uracas and Asuncion.
While waiting for the president’s response, Taisakan said he also expressed the same concern to the Pew group, which is the main proponent of the proposal
According to Taisakan, it’s too early to say whether the proposal is good or bad.
But instead of turning it down right away, the CNMI should look into the proposal first, he said.
He said he wrote a letter to Bush because he thinks it’s now up to the president to decide whether to designate a marine monument in the CNMI.
In his letter to Bush, the mayor said that he and his constituents respect the American Antiquities Act of 1906, which allows the president to declare historic landmarks as national monuments. But to do so without consultations with the CNMI people “is not in the spirit of the Covenant,” Taisakan said, referring to U.S. law that made the islands part of America.
The mayor said it took six years before a marine national monument was designated in Hawaii and it is only fair that the CNMI be given the same period of time to study the proposal.
“It is important for us to clearly understand how the project will affect our fisheries and ocean resources, tourism and other economic opportunities, and the culture values and traditions of persons of NMI descent,” Taisakan told the president.
